Throttled direct vent termination

Abstract

A throttled vent termination or cap for use in conjunction with a direct vent appliance and venting system is provided. The direct vent termination includes an inner pipe and a concentric outer housing surrounding the inner pipe to form a void between the inner pipe and the outer housing. The void adapted to provide intake air to the air intake section of the vent system. An end cap is provided at a first end of the outer pipe, the inner pipe to the end cap and having an exhaust opening therein. An intake region is formed in the outer housing providing access to the void. A throttle cover which is configured to be movably positioned and thereafter secured at one of a number of positions over the intake region using a throttle guide is provided to thereby regulate air flow into the void.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A termination for a direct vent system, communicating with an appliance, the system having an exhaust section and an air intake section, the termination comprising:
 a vent cap having an inner exhaust conduit and an outer housing, with a void formed between the inner exhaust conduit and the outer housing, the void coupled to the air intake section; 
 one or more apertures having a closed periphery in the outer housing communicating with the void, wherein a total unrestricted area of the one or more apertures is at least 35% of a cross sectional area of the inner exhaust conduit; and 
 a throttle cover on the outer housing and configured to regulate air flow through the one or more apertures into the void by being positioned at one of a plurality of positions partially covering the one or more apertures, each of the plurality of positions providing a different level of air restriction over the one or more apertures, said throttle cover including a throttle guide with a slotted ladder having a center slot and three or more additional slots configured to set a position of the throttle cover with a pin engaging the center slot, each additional slot comprising one of the plurality of positions, each one of the positions restricting air flow to a predetermined, different level such that at least two of the positions occlude at least 10% of an area of the one or more apertures wherein the center slot is further defined as a slot in a first direction and the three or more additional slots are further defined as three or more slots in a second direction, wherein the second direction is different than the first direction. 
 
     
     
       2. The termination of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more apertures are formed into the outer housing. 
     
     
       3. The termination of  claim 1  wherein the inner exhaust conduit and outer housing comprise cylindrical pipes, the inner exhaust conduit having a smaller diameter than the outer housing. 
     
     
       4. The termination of  claim 3  wherein the outer housing has a first end and a second end, and a length, the inner exhaust conduit having a length extending beyond the first end of the outer housing and including an exhaust opening. 
     
     
       5. The termination of  claim 1 , wherein one of the plurality of positions occludes at least 10 percent of the area of the one or more apertures, and at least one different position occludes at least 50% of the area of the one or more apertures. 
     
     
       6. The termination of  claim 1  wherein the termination is mounted on a planar surface, and a distance from the planar surface to a nearest portion of an exhaust opening is no greater than 1.5 times a perimeter of the exhaust opening. 
     
     
       7. The termination of  claim 1 , wherein the outer housing has a perimeter less than three times a perimeter of a direct vent system to which the outer housing is connected. 
     
     
       8. A horizontal direct vent termination for a vent system, the vent system having an exhaust section and an air intake section coupled to the termination, the termination comprising:
 an inner pipe and an outer housing, with a void formed between the inner pipe and the outer housing, the inner pipe having an exhaust region, the inner pipe and outer housing coupled to the vent system; 
 an end cap at a first end of the outer housing, the exhaust region passing through the end cap to an exhaust opening; 
 an intake region including one or more apertures having a closed periphery formed in the outer housing providing access to the void, the intake region formed a distance apart from the exhaust opening; and 
 a throttle cover positioned on the outer housing to variably cover the intake region by being slidably positioned with a throttle guide at one of a plurality of positions partially covering the intake region, each of the plurality of positions providing a different level of air restriction over the intake region to thereby regulate air flow into the void, wherein said throttle guide comprises a slotted ladder having a center slot and three or more additional slots configured to set a position of the throttle cover with a pin engaging the center slot, each additional slot comprising one of the plurality of positions, wherein the center slot is further defined as a slot in a first direction and the three or more additional slots are further defined as three or more slots in a second direction, wherein the second direction is different than the first direction 
 wherein the plurality of positions includes a first position where a total unrestricted area of the intake region is at least 35% of a cross sectional area of the exhaust region, and 
 wherein the plurality of positions includes at least two different positions which occlude at least 10 percent of the unrestricted area of the intake region. 
 
     
     
       9. The termination of  claim 8  wherein the plurality of positions includes one position in which the throttle cover occludes at least 10 percent of the unrestricted area of the intake region, and includes another position in which the throttle cover occludes at least 50 percent of the unrestricted area of the intake region. 
     
     
       10. The termination of  claim 9  wherein the termination is mounted on a planar surface, and a distance from the planar surface to a nearest portion of the exhaust opening is no greater than 1.5 times a perimeter of the exhaust opening. 
     
     
       11. The termination of  claim 10  wherein the outer housing has a perimeter less than three times the perimeter total cross sectional area of a connection of a direct vent system to which it is connected. 
     
     
       12. The termination of  claim 11  wherein the inner pipe and outer housing comprise concentric cylindrical pipes, the inner pipe having a smaller diameter than the outer housing, the throttle cover comprises a cylindrical ring on the outer pipe. 
     
     
       13. A direct vent termination for a vent system, the vent system having an exhaust section and an air intake section coupled to the termination, the termination comprising:
 a cylindrical inner pipe and a cylindrical concentric outer pipe surrounding the inner pipe to form a void between the inner pipe and the outer housing, the void adapted to provide intake are to the air intake section of the vent system; 
 an end cap at a first end of the outer pipe, the inner pipe passing through the end cap and having an exhaust opening therein; 
 an intake region formed in the outer pipe providing access to the void; and 
 a throttle cover substantially free of apertures configured to be movably positioned and thereafter secured at one of a number of positions partially covering the intake region, each of the number of positions providing a different level of air restriction over the intake region using a throttle guide to thereby regulate air flow into the void, wherein said throttle guide comprises a slotted ladder having a center slot and three or more additional slots configured to set a position of the throttle cover with a pin engaging the center slot, each additional slot comprising one of the plurality of positions, wherein the center slot is further defined as a slot in a first direction and the three or more additional slots are further defined as three or more slots in a second direction, wherein the second direction is different than the first direction 
 wherein the plurality of positions includes a first position where a total unrestricted area of the intake region is at least 35% of a cross sectional area of the exhaust region, and 
 wherein the plurality of positions includes at least two different positions which occlude at least 10 percent of the unrestricted area of the intake region. 
 
     
     
       14. The termination of  claim 13  wherein the plurality of positions includes one position in which the throttle cover occludes at least 10 percent of the unrestricted area of the intake region, and includes another position in which the throttle cover occludes at least 50 percent of the unrestricted area of the intake region. 
     
     
       15. The termination of  claim 13  wherein the termination is mounted on a planar surface, and a distance from the planar surface to a nearest portion of the exhaust opening is no greater than 1.5 times a perimeter of the exhaust opening.